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Fuse 2017 Kicks Off with a Nostalgic Retirement Dinner for Bill Keese

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Bill Keese Retirement Dinner at Bryan Museum on Galveston Island, TX.
Fuse 2017: APRO’s National Rent-to-Own Convention and Trade Show kicked off on Monday, May 8th on sunny Galveston Island, Texas. APRO staff greeted early attendees, most of whom planned on participating in Tuesday morning’s Annual Tom Kitchens Golf Classic but were also looking forward to wishing APRO’s Executive Director Bill Keese a fond farewell at his retirement dinner held at the historic Bryan Museum. APRO held their board meeting where President Mark Connelly introduced APRO’s new Executive Director Jill McClure to the board. Connelly and APRO’s current Executive Director Bill Keese explained the hiring process and decision making. Jill’s role as APRO’s Executive Director will begin on June 12th. Bill Keese’s last day will be June 30th.  
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The TRIB Group presents $14,000 check donated to APRO’s Education Foundation Scholarship Fund. Pictured R to L: TRIB Groups Larry Carrico, Dennis Shields and Shannon Strunk with APRO’s upcoming Executive Director Jill McClure, President Mark Connelly and current Executive Director Bill Keese.
The TRIB Group also held their board meeting on Monday afternoon and presented APRO with a $14,000 check that they raised and donated to the APRO Education Foundation Scholarship Fund. This has been the highest donation TRIB Group has contributed to the APRO Foundation Scholarship Fund to date. Fuse kick off concluded with a farewell retirement dinner honoring Bill Keese at the Bryan Museum. Fuse attendees who know and worked closely with Bill over the past three decades were invited to a nostalgic evening sharing memories of an RTO industry leader who has helped protect and shape rent-to-own over the years. APRO staff presented Bill with a very special tribute book that was filled with photos chronicling Bill’s career along with heartfelt quotes from staff, rental dealers and RTO vendors. John Blair also presented Bill with a cruise package for he and his wife Debbie on behalf of the staff and various rent-to-own professionals. The night closed with shared stories of favorite Bill Keese memories, laughs and a few tears but overall a bright outlook for what the future holds for APRO. Click here to view more photos Bill Keese’s Retirement Dinner at Bryan Museum. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Fuse 2017’s Day 1 coverage. We’re looking forward to APRO’s Annual Tom Kitchens Golf Classic tournament, the APRO Hot Show and Fuse 2017 Gala at Fisherman’s Wharf.

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Mike Lewis

Central Properties dba Premier Rental-Purchase

Mike Lewis is a Premier Rental Purchase franchisee with multiple stores and currently serves as Vice President of Operations. With 33 years of experience in the rent-to-own industry, he has spent the past 20 years working closely with franchisee owners and previously spent 12 years in Corporate RTO, gaining a strong foundation in the business.

For the past five years, Mike has been sharing his knowledge by teaching managers and franchisees at the company’s Training Center.

Outside of work, he enjoys time with his family, kids, and grandkids, and appreciates the simple things in life – especially riding his Harley Davidson with the sun on his face. If you know, you know!

Lauren Talicska

Arona Corporation dba Arona Home Essentials

Lauren Talicska is an experienced multi-channel marketing specialist and the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Arona Home Essentials. She has found her home in the RTO community, supporting stores in branding, growth, and increasing traffic.

You may recognize Lauren as a former RTO vendor, including her time as a partner for Nationwide RentDirect, or her previous participation in the APRO Vendor Advisory Committee. Lauren calls Columbus, Ohio, home and spends her workday crafting and executing marketing promotions from inception to realization, all while supporting the branding and social media needs of all the Arona stores in 12 states (plus Puerto Rico!).

Charles Smitherman

APRO

Charles Smitherman, JD, PhD, CAE, became CEO of APRO in 2023, bringing years of legal and executive experience in the rent-to-own industry. 

Prior to joining the association, Charles served as COO, General Counsel, and Vice President of PTS Financial Services, where he played an active role in the rent-to-own industry by representing his company through PTS’s club program offering with APRO member dealers. Charles is an attorney with two decades of experience across a wide variety of areas, including RTO, consumer financial services, antitrust, corporate law, mergers and acquisitions, litigation, franchise law, and privacy law. Following law school at the University of Georgia, Charles earned a Master of Legal Studies and PhD in Law from the University of Oxford in England.

Charles is credentialed as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) with the American Society of Association Executives, a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) with the International Franchise Association, and a Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) and Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM) through the International Association of Privacy Professionals. As APRO’s sixth CEO in its 45-year history, he brings a collaborative, member-focused approach to association leadership, emphasizing transparency, advocacy, and value creation. Outside of work, Charles is an active ultra runner and open water swimmer.

Mike Kays

Ashley Furniture Industries

As VP of Rental Sales for Ashley Furniture Industries, Mike thrives on building relationships with our RTO industry veterans, and helping businesses grow through new product, new marketing, and new supply chain options.

Mike works to leverage a wide breadth of relationships and influence, intimate knowledge of market trends, and unique knowledge of what RTO dealers need from a supplier to be successful.

The saying goes that a high tide raises all boats, and our goal is to leverage the world’s largest furniture manufacturer to drive the continued growth of the RTO industry and all the suppliers.

Mike Tissot

Countryside Rentals Inc., dba Rent-2-Own

Mike grew up in the rent-to-own industry under the guidance of his father, former APRO President and RTO legend Darrell Tissot. For nearly 25 years, Mike’s innovative leadership has helped expand the family business to more than 40 stores across Ohio and Kentucky while also shaping the industry as a whole.

He has served as President of the Ohio Rental Dealers Association, an APRO board member and Treasurer, and President and Treasurer of the TRIB Group. His contributions have earned him the APRO President’s Award of Excellence and the title of APRO Rental Dealer of the Year.

Outside of RTO, Mike enjoys time at the lake house or in Orange Beach, Alabama, with his girlfriend, Angela Strong McCool. A passionate Cincinnati Reds fan, he rarely misses a game, whether watching or listening alongside his parents. He also takes every opportunity to visit Arizona, where his daughter is currently attending Arizona State University.